Garving-fork guard



(ModeL) G.H.W ARREN. GARVING FORK GUARD. No. 279,294. Patented June 12,1883.

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enonen H. WARREN, or SHELBURNE FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARVING-FO RK GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 279,294, dated June 12, 1883.

Application filed September 14,1882. (Model.)

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. WVARR N, of Shelburne Falls, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in OarvingFork Guards,-

of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a combined guard and rest forcarving-forks, and it consists in constructing the same with ashoulder or cross IO bar to bear against thelower side of theshank, and providing a spring to press said shoulder or cross-bar up against the shank and to hold the guard in its upright or folded position, as required.

i In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofmy improved guard applied to a fork; Fig. 2, a side view, showing the shank of the fork in section; Fig.

-3, a perspective view of the guard detached. 2o Fork-guards have hitherto been made in a variety of forms, and in various instances have been made to constitute also a rest or support to hold the tines of the fork up from the table upon which it rests when not in use. Gonstructions have also been adopted and patented in which the guard has been retained in position by a spring,which served also to hold the guard in either an upright or a folded position, as desired, the spring being separate from the guard. It is to this latter class that my present invention relates; and the improvement consists in apeculiar construction whereby the guard is adapted for use in connection with forks having thin flat shanks. In this 5 class of forks the metal is of such slight thickness that no room is aiiorded for a pivot or in which to form a seat for a hub or boss such as has been used with forks having heavier shanks. Hence, to adapt the guard to such forks I extend the guard outward laterally on each side of the opening through which it passes, thereby forming shoulders or bearings to prevent the guard from passing upward through the shank. I

Referring again to the drawings, A. represents the fork as a whole, and B the guard. The guard consists of the usual upper portion, a, and the feet I), which latter may, however, be omitted in some instances, and the lateral shoulders 0. These shoulders c are to form a rest or support upon which the shank of the fork may bear when the fork is resting upon a table or stand, and to act as a pivot or fulcrum on which the guard may tip or turn in being elevated or folded. The shank d is pro vided with an opening, 6, through which arm a is passed. The arm, being within the hole or opening, is prevented from moving laterally or forward or baclnvard by the walls of said opening,while the horizontal shoulders c, bearing against the lower face of the shank, prevent the guard from passing upward be yond the shoulders. A spring, 0, secured to the-under side of the shank, extends between the feet of the guard and presses and holds said guard up, so that the horizontal shoulders c are kept in contact with the shank at all times and the guard thereby retained in place without the aid ofa pivotal pin, such as is more commonly used. The spring 0 is formed wit-h double incline f near its free end, and the guard in being raised and lowered bears alternately on opposite sides of the angle or high -est point of the spring, so that the spring-tends to hold the guard in whichever position it is placed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- In combination with a fork having a perforated shank, d, aguard, B, extending through said shank and provided with lateral shoulders 0, arranged to bear against the lower face of the shank, and a spring, 0, having the double incline f and extending beneaththe guard, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE HENRY WARREN.

\Vitnesses:

A. V. HAWKS,

OJR. MAYNARD. 

